Our prediction for this Europa League match:
St Liege
Match Time & Date:
19/09/2019
12:55 PM
Prediction: 2-1
Guimaraes
Stade Maurice Dufrasne will host Thursday’s football game between Standard Liege and Vitoria Guimaraes, the two teams who face each other at the start of the 2019/2020 Europa League campaign. Standard made a promising start to the new domestic campaign and that is surely giving fans a reason for optimism ahead of the visit of Vitoria Guimaraes.
The Portuguese outfit, on the other hand, made a slow start to the season and seeing that they are not regarded as good travelers, we are tempted to put our money on the Red Devils this time out. A man to watch in the home team will be Maxime Lestienne, who has been scoring goals for fun in the national championship at the start of the season. In their last home game in the Europa League Standard did well to beat La Liga side Sevilla 1-0.
Highlighted Player (Mehdi Carcela-González):
Despite being born in Liege, Belgium on July 1, 1989, Mehdi Carcela represents Morocco on the international stage. Carcela initially chose to play for his country of birth Belgium, taking part in two friendlies with the Red Devils, but in February 2011 he made his debut with Morocco.
He represented Morocco at the 2018 FIFA World Cup finals in Russia, but the African side failed to make it to the knockout stages of the showpiece tournament. Speaking of his club career, Mehdi Carcela played for the likes of Standard Liege, Anzhi, Benfica, Granada and Olympiakos (on loan). He currently plays for Standard Liege on loan from Granada.
Mehdi Carcela’s main position is right winger, but he is capable of playing as both attacking midfielder and left winger as well. In the 2008/2009 season the Morocco international won the Belgian Pro League with Standard and seven seasons later he repeated the success with Benfica as the Eagles won Primeira Liga. His preferred foot is left.
Highlighted Team (Guimaraes):
Vitoria Guimaraes have always been in the shadow of famous Portuguese sides Porto, Benfica and Sporting, but over the years they have established themselves as a top-table side in the Primeira Liga. Os Vimaranenses did well to win Taca de Portugal in the 2012/2013 season, wi the team beating Benfica in the final of the domestic cup.
Vitoria Guimaraes finished the 2016/2017 Primeira Liga campaign in fourth place in the standings and, as a result, they booked their place in the Europa League qualifiers. The Portuguese side will face the likes of Salzburg, Konyaspor and Olympic Marseille in Group I and they are seen as underdogs in their group. Vitoria Guimaraes welcome their rivals at Estadio D. Alfonso Henriques and the venue can hold up to 30.000 spectators.
Os Vimaranenses play their home games in white shirts and white shorts, whilst they wear black when playing on the road. Their neighbours Braga are considered Guimaraes’ fiercest rivals and the two teams face each other in the derby of Minho Province.
Ajax
Chelsea
Leipzig
Zenit
Genk
Liverpool
Inter
Borussia Dortmund
Salzburg
Napoli
Slavia Prague
Barcelona
